Brookhaven began a new state fiscal year with July sales taxcollections of almost $320,000 and a ranking still in the state’sTop 20, according to totals from the Mississippi TaxCommission.

Brookhaven began a new state fiscal year with July sales taxcollections of almost $320,000 and a ranking still in the state’sTop 20, according to totals from the Mississippi TaxCommission.

With collections of $319,951.32, the city’s July 2000 total was$15,000 more than its July 1999 total of $304,722.61. The 2000number gave Brookhaven the 19th place in statewide sales taxcollection rankings.

Chandler Russ, executive vice-president of theBrookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, said the state’scollection grew only about 1 percent in comparison of July totals.However, Brookhaven’s collection rate grew about 5 percent from theprevious July.

“That shows how we did in comparison statewide,” Russ said.

Statewide, sales tax collections were $25.69 million in July2000 and $25.06 million in July 1999.

With June totals in the books, Russ said Brookhaven finishedstate fiscal year 2000 with $3,639,000 in sales tax collections.That is approximately $465,000 more than 1997’s yearly total.

Russ said that translates into a 13 percent increase over thatperiod and an average of $38,5000 more a month in sales taxcollections. Mentioning some new retail developments, he wasoptimistic about future sales tax possibilities.

“It’s only going to get better,” Russ said. “I don’t expect adown turn any time soon.”

In other parts of southwest Mississippi, McComb merchants tookin $346,408.32 in July. That was up less than $4,000 from July1999’s $342,227.98, but still good enough for 18th placestatewide.

In Summit, merchants’ collections were down slightly, with$20,285.66 in 2000 and $21,504.27 in 1999.

In Lawrence County, Monticello merchants’ collections were alsodown. In July 2000, the city’s total was $31,178.66. It was$33,125.57 in July 1999.

To the north, Wesson businesses rang up $9,391.94 in sales tax.That, too, was down some from last July’s $10,637.36.

In Franklin County, Meadville merchants collected $9,115.97 inJuly 2000 sales tax, which was up a little from last July’s$8,603.43. In Bude, businesses took in $9,055.95 during the period,also an increase over the $8,227.30 from last year.

Since July is the beginning of a new state fiscal year, cities’year to date sales tax collections are the same as their monthlytotals.